
Being a compilation of very 
valuable suggestions on the 
problems connected with the 
promotion of College and 
High School Annuals. 



STAFFORD ENGRAVING CO. 

CENTURY BUILDING 
INDIANAPOLIS. INDIANA 



SEE OUR SPECIAL OFFER 
ON PAGES 26-27-28-29 and 30 






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About This Other Valuable Book 
and How to Secure Its Use 
Without Cost. 



HELPFUL HINTS 



ON 



Year Book 
Publication 



PUBLISHED BY 

STAFFORD ENGRAVING COMPANY 

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 



vT>ti 



Copyright, 1921, 

by the 

StaflFord Engraving Co. 

Indianapolis, Ind. 



C1A657300 



FEB -9 1922 



-w« I 



EDITOR'S PREFACE. 

This volume is unique if for nothing else other 
than the manner of its making. Being a compila- 
tion of actual experiences of Annual editors and 
business managers, it should, therefore, prove a 
boon to those who for the first time have assumed 
such obligations. 

It should be clearly understood that this book 
is designed to cover every important point in- 
volved in Annual publishing ; it is a part of the 
co-operative service maintained by Stafford En- 
graving Company in the interest of its friends — 
the staff. 

Full credit is given to those who through their 
suggestions have made them of such practical 
value. These suggestions are always gratefully 
received, and whenever desirable, will be em- 
bodied in the succeeding revisions of the text. 



The College Annual 

On all sides, are we not driven to the conclusionj that, of the 
things man can do or make here below, by far the most momentous, 
wonderful and worthy are the things we call Books; for indeed is 
it not verily, at bottom, the highest act of mans faculty that produces 
a Book? — Carlyle 

We do not intend that this shall be a scientific, theoretical or 
philosophic treatise on the various phenomena of Annual publishing, 
which, if their set laws are not obeyed, will result in certain evil re- 
sults. Far from it. What we have to say is simply a few of the 
things which we have learned through personal experience — sad 
though that has been in some cases. We have a deep and feeling 
sympathy for the trials of a staff, for they are many and of varied 
and ever-changing hues. Every staff may profit from the trials of 
others, yet each will be required to work out its own salvation. Neither 
do we expect this discussion to greatly aid those staffs where Annuals 
have been long published and where traditions and customs have 
become firmly rooted. But to those who are entering upon their 
first experience, with fear and trembling, let us say, with a feeling of 
confidence, that if you read these lines and take home those lessons 
which may be applicable, you will profit much by them. The general 
system of school publications is the same either in the publishing of 
high school or college papers or annuals. 

Why Publish an Annual 

The benefits derived from an annual publication by a college or a 
high school is no longer an open question. Any school, especially a 
college, is judged by the number and character of its student enter- 
prises. An education is no longer considered complete without the 
varied experience given one who imbibes liberally of modern uni- 
versity life. 

The annual publication deserves a recognized place among college 
enterprises for four reasons : 

1. The Annual is of incalculable value to a college as an ad- 
vertising souvenir. Students buy the Annual and send it to friends. 
These friends, along with others contemplating entering school, read 



6 Stafford Engraving Company 

it and naturally are aided in making a choice. The time has come 
when the school without an Annual is below the common standard 
and prospective students hesitate about deciding in favor of such a 
school. 

2. The Annual is an exchange of literary and art productions 
contributed by different members of the student body. It then fills 
an important place as a means of developing literary and art talents 
among the students, 

3. Nothing is so desirable in college as genuine class spirit — a 
spirit that accomplishes things. The Annual is an excellent means 
of getting the members of a class to work, since all look forward to 
its appearance with eagerness. 

4. Lastly, it affords an opportunity for the staff members to 
produce an Annual which will speak well not only for their ability 
and hustle, but for the class and the school. The publication creates 
positions of responsibility which any man may feel honored to occupy. 

We are all souvenir hunters. That is our American hobby. The 
kodak is turning us into fiends for views of places and friends which 
we wish to remember. We are willing and eager to pay, while at 
school, from fifteen cents to a dollar for pictures of views or teams, 
which soon become too bulky and inconvenient to keep. How much 
more economical, convenient for ready reference and more artistic to 
buy a souvenir of your school or college containing many pictures of 
the college buildings, dozens of your favorite views and nooks about 
the campus, all your friends and classmates, your professors, the ath- 
letic teams, orators, debaters, etc., who have battled for the colors of 
your school and for your glory, and together with these the glowing 
accounts of the events of the year — weigh with these a paltry sum in 
the other side of the balance, the mere cost of the book, perhaps. That 
book will be the historical memoirs of your school days — the most 
pleasant and care-free of your entire career, the "white bread" of your 
life. Don't tell us such things do not stir your feelings, and that 
your love and patriotism are slumbering. If you do, you make us 
think of the lines which run something like this : 

"His soul is surely dead 

Who never to himself has said, 

This is ray own, my native land." 

There is another item of account — the Alumni body. We are 
continually hearing high school or college men bewailing the apathy 



Indianapolis, Indiana 7 

of the Alumni. Wait a minute! Ask yourself this question, "What 
are we, as students, doing or what have we done to merit any especial 
attention?" If you answer that question — really and truly answer 
it — and if you have never published an Annual, then, in the name of 
common sense, get busy, put some fuel into the marrow of your dormant 
talent, plan an Annual, finance it carefully, get the Stafford Engrav- 
ing Company to help you make it artistic, get after the Alumni in a 
straight-from-the-shbulder business-like manner with follow-up 
"spears" of influence if they do not immediately respond, keep a 
weather eye ever alert to make the Annual interesting to them, always 
keeping every promise you have made, and then — watch results. It 
will surprise you to see the awakening and it will be balm to your 
troubled soul to have that exhilarating sense of having actually done 
something worth while. 

And as one more, among many reasons, let us say that an Annual 
or school paper furnishes the best possible advertisement for the 
school. If it be in a high school then that school is rated as energetic, 
up-to-date and progressive. If a good one is published, the school, 
alone, will not receive the good, but those staff members who have 
done much of the work will be already introduced to college before 
they enter. The writer knows of one instance, where a man was 
elected editor-in-chief of his college paper, and on entering the editor's 
office to take charge, found the commencement number of his high 
school paper, of which he had been editor, four years previous, lying 
on the editor's desk. That was the introduction. If it be a college 
which issues an Annual, the advertisement is worth much and the 
college is always willing to help in a financial way. In the high 
schools, over the state, and in several states, you will see wideawake and 
ambitious lads eagerly devouring the contents of the Annual, which 
has been sent to the reading table with the compliments of the college, 
and unconsciously forming definite opinions of the college and decid- 
ing which college he will some day attend. Pictures always convey 
definite impressions which words alone can not impart, and here it is 
that the engraver proves himself to be the missionary of the truth and 
the light. 

Laying the Foundations 

"And as ye sow, so shall ye also reap," is as adaptable to this ques- 
tion as it is to life. Lay your foundations well and solid. In the first 



8 Helpful Hints 

place, if it be a class, which takes the responsibility (even in "entire 
school" publications the general principles hold good) have the class 
to take action on the matter. Discuss it intelligently, pro and con. 
Will they support it if they attempt it? Is there sufficient talent to 
issue a creditable production? Let no slip-shoddy plans or work ever 
creep in to sap the strength. Impress into service all the support nec- 
essary and what can be relied upon. Can the class spirit be aroused 
sufficiently so that, if undertaken, all will see to its success? Remember 
the Spartan motto: "Beware of entrance to a quarrel, but being in 
beareth that thy opponent may be aware of thee," for, once you have 
undertaken the task — and it is no easy or light one — every one should 
be like the bulldog in the "Hoosier School Master," of which it was 
said, "When he once takes 'holt, heaven and 'arth can't make him let 
go." When all these things have been discussed, have the class to take 
a standing vote on a motion in substance like this, "All those in favor 
of publishing an Annual and who will do everything in their power 
to see that it is made a success, please stand." That will obligate 
every one who does stand to stick to his vote, and the few who do not, 
perhaps, can be talked to privately. If these preliminaries are gone 
through, the work is well started. 

Selection OF Staff 

Let the class determine first of all, either by direct vote or by 
committee, what offices will constitute the staff. It should not be too 
unwieldy, yet should be fully represented. We would suggest from 
eleven to seventeen members, according to the size of the school. In 
this selection there should be one editor-in-chief, upon whom would 
fall the responsibility for everything that appears in the production, — 
one man who must be accountable. One and only one business man- 
ager should be required, because it is necessary to have some one per- 
son accountable for the funds and that he feel the responsibility. The 
mistake of having two co-ordinating editors or business managers 
means a compromise product and a shirking of duties. For a mere 
example we choose the following staff : 

One Editor-in-Chief. Two Asst, Business Mgrs. 

Two Associate Editors. Two Art Editors. 

One Business Manager. Eight Literary Editors. 

Of the last named, four should be assigned to the calendar for the 
year and the humorous parts of the Annual. This to be their work 



On Year Book Publication 9 

for the year and they to hold weekly meetings. The other four are 
responsible for the part of the book designated as "Literary," and 
also for special write-ups assigned them by the editor. It might 
be said also that they should have plenty of material ready on the date 
specified. The assistant editors write up or have charge of the special 
write-ups of individuals, etc., while the write-ups of departments 
are done, subject to correction, by students majoring in the separate 
departments. These editors, with the editor-in-chief, form the con- 
sulting board. 

The class elects the editor and business manager, together with 
their assistants, and these constitute a committee for the selecting of 
the remainder of the staff. In this manner; there is no infringement 
upon the rights of the class, yet it offers an opportunity for the man- 
agement of the Annual to select those who would work in harmony 
with the general policy, for it is like a vehicle with a loose, rattling 
spring, it may not impede the progress, but it proves very irritating 
to both the driver and occupants. 

A wise staff will send a request to the president of the college, 
requesting him to appoint a faculty committee of three to act as an 
advisory board, to offer counsel and to pass on all copy. This may 
seem like a thorn in the flesh to an egotistical or energetic staff, but 
let us say from experience that there is nothing to lose by this policy 
and everything to gain. It will prevent ill feeling, suspicion and non- 
co-operation on the part of the faculty. It is a check on rash — and 
later to be regretted — material ; it gives protection to the editor, and a 
feeling of confidence in the purpose and success of the work. You can 
not afford to be without this security and, if you suggest it, the result 
is far better for your nerves than if the committee is forced upon you. 

Making the Book Pay 

After the staff is chosen comes the question of how to make the 
book pay for itself. Of course, if the business manager and his 
assistants are good live men, a considerable sum may be counted on 
from advertisements. The various organizations and societies which 
are given space in the book are, of course, taxed, so that the cuts can 
often be made almost to pay for themselves. Sometimes, when the 
book is put out by a class, each member is required to take a certain 
number of copies of the book, paying cash for them and disposing of 



10 Stafford Engraving Company 

them as opportunity may oifer. Again, each member of the class may 
be assessed a certain sum, leaving the sale of the book to the business 
manager and his assistants. Where these assistants are numerous 
enough and where the edition is comparatively limited, this is probably 
the better plan; but if, as in many small colleges, an edition is pub- 
lished which is perhaps two or three times as large as the enrollment 
of the college, the first system above mentioned would probably get 
the books distributed more satisfactorily. 

The staff ought to start work the day college opens. Every day 
of delay is just that much lost in the quality of the book. There is 
always a great deal going on at the beginning of the college year, but 
for the Annual staff the Annual should take first place over any other 
considerations. There are plenty of other men to attend to the fra- 
ternity rush season and the football team and class elections and such 
matters, but to the Annual staff has been entrusted the Annual, and 
it is up to them to put the Annual ahead of everything else. If 
possible, the business manager should get the printing and engraving 
contracts out of the way at the very start, so that the editors will 
know exactly what to count on and so that he and his assistants may 
be left free to chase advertisements and arrange for the sale of the 
book. 

Poor material, artistically arranged, makes a much better showing 
than good material ineffectively put together. There should be some 
one, either the editor-in-chief, managing editor or art editor, who 
arranges the general appearance of the book according to some fixed 
plan, and who has all the half-tones finished uniformly. A good 
cartoonist is a gift from Providence, but for poorly arranged half- 
tones the editors have only themselves to blame. The editor-in-chief, 
or whoever looks after the literary side of the book, should have a 
fiendish eye for detail and should let not the smallest inaccuracy 
escape him. Especially is this necessary in correcting the proofs. 
This is the last chance the editors have at their copy, and it should 
be gone over with extreme care. Of course, copy should be so put 
together beforehand that no great corrections are necessary on the 
proof sheets, but there are bound to be many small mistakes, which 
careful editing should correct. Trial dummies should be made up in 
two or three different ways and looked over carefully, so that when 
the dummy for the printer is put together it should contain the most 
effective arrangement possible. 



Indianapolis, Indiana 11 

The first part of the book should be the first for which your copy 
is gotten together. It requires no great labor to arrange your book 
so that the material, for say the first half of the book, can be in shape 
to send to the printer by the middle of the year. Of course, some 
things have to be held as long as possible. The calendar should con- 
tain news up till the very day that the Annual goes to press, but the 
copy for the fall months can be made up and illustrated as fast as it 
comes. In athletics it is quite natural, if the college has good pros- 
pects in baseball or track, to want to delay the copy until some more 
victories can be recorded ; but if this is done the football and basket- 
ball and indoor track seasons should be covered as soon as they close, 
and a certain space should be set aside for the copy which cdmes in 
later. And perhaps the last injunction along this line is this — ^when 
you have laid aside a certain number of pages for some subject, keep 
it within those limits. No matter how it may appeal to you, do not 
allow one department to overlap its bounds or you will not have a 
symmetrical book. 

The joke department is perhaps the hardest department 
in the book to handle in a creditable and satisfactory manner 
and too often it is made an excuse for giving vent to personal dislikes 
on the part of the editors. It is the aim of this department to amuse, 
but in doing so it should avoid injuries to innocent parties. In many 
cases the ludicrous side of things can be shown up in such a manner 
that it will result in betterment of existing conditions and this fact 
should always be kept in mind by the writer. A personal hit, as they 
are called, is sometimes a benefit to the person, but it is more often an 
injury. 

It is hard to give advice to a future editor or business manager, 
because so many things have to be learned by actual experience. As a 
rule, directing an Annual is a privilege which comes to a man only 
once, and fortunate indeed is he who in preparatory or high school 
has a foretaste of what may be awaiting him in college. The editor 
should begin work the day he is elected, and should not let up for one 
single moment till the book is on sale; and the business manager can 
not quit even then. Hard work, careful work, unremitting work, is 
the only thing which will carry an Annual through. The editor or 
business manager of such a publication, to be successful, must be "on 
the job" all the time, and requires the assistance and co-operation of 



12 Helpful Hints 

an engraving company and a printing concern that are familiar with 
college publication work and capable of producing first-class work. 

Reserve Fund 

Assessments are often made directly upon the members of the 
publishing class, sometimes with the proviso of one copy of the Annual 
for compensation. In some cases, however, it may be necessary to 
resort to other expedients. The Annual may be published by the 
Junior class and every Junior required to deposit a certain sum with 
the treasurer of the college as the "Annual Reserve Fund." If the 
book does not pay for itself, this fund may be used. If it is not used, 
the money to be refunded, or pro rated, should only part be used. 
Every one is willing to stand the loss if necessary to produce a good 
book. While we favor a direct assessment where possible, yet we 
feel that in many ways this plan is better for the first attempts. 

Business Manager's Bond 

The business manager should be required to give a bond, agreed 
upon by the president of the college, with ample gilt-edge security, 
for the honest accounting of all money handled by him. This will 
eliminate the tendency of pocketing part of the proceeds. Above all 
there should be no graft permitted, for it taints not only the present 
success, but its foul breath will taint future attempts. 

Selection of Engravers 

One of the most important points to be considered is the selection 
of the engravers, for upon the character, quality and artistic arrange- 
ment of the art work in an Annual or publication, rests one's first and 
often most lasting impression of its standard. The writer has taken 
a dozen Annuals and, casually turning the pages, has found that the 
typographical impression gained from this viewpoint, has been usually 
substantiated by a later careful examination. As we have said before, 
the more artistic souvenir you can produce, the higher quality and 
taste of your cuts and designs, the more valued and valuable your 
creation. Above all, if you have a good artist at your command, use 
him and do not be stingy about it, either. If you do not have such a 
man, your engravers can fill your wants in designing. For difficult 
producing of original designs they are to be depended upon. 



On Year Book Publication 13 

The first thing the business manager has to do is to secure a con- 
tract with a reliable engraving house, one whose ability to handle all 
kinds of work is universally conceded ; one whose entire service is at 
your personal command; one whose honesty and reliability is above 
reproach; one which guarantees satisfaction or no pay for services; 
one whose officers are worthy of your personal acquaintance ; one which 
specializes in high school and college work, and not only knows how 
to do, but does the best work obtainable from the copy you submit; 
and, above all, for the management of any school publication is gen- 
erally limited as to funds, one whose rates are reasonable and the 
cheapest for the standard of work you really want in your Annual. 
That is the difference between engraving houses, as well as in other 
businesses. Some may be a little cheaper — but so is the quality of the 
goods. But the reliable house that gives you your money's worth and 
the best quality for the least price, that is the star to which you should 
connect. 

So, first of all, make a clear, concise, business contract with a 
reliable engraving house. There are innumerable small and trivial 
matters that need close attention to insure a perfect book. If you get 
in connection with a house bubbling over with new and fresh ideas 
and anxious to share them, and which gives attention to details, you 
are fortunate indeed, for it will help you over many a stony place. 
Quality — we repeat it, quality — counts in engraving as much as it 
does in shoes or clothes. Cuts of quality show up like a bright and 
glittering aluminum cooking utensil in a kitchen full of cracked and 
chipped granity pans and dirty pots. If there is one thing more than 
another for which your book will be praised it is the excellency of the 
cuts, and those cuts should be made by the Stafford Engraving Com- 
pany. 

It has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of hundreds of editors 
and business managers that this firm has all the requirements cited 
above and has, in addition to these qualifications, the most reason- 
able rates for the service rendered. Others quote seemingly lower 
rates in some cases, but when you figure out the cost after all the con- 
ditions of the contracts have been discovered, you will come to the 
conclusion that in choosing Stafford Engraving Company you will 
have made a wise selection. Furthermore, you will have the benefit 
of our book of instructions, "Engraving for College and School Pub- 



14 Stafford Engraving Company 

lications." This volume is especially adapted to the needs of the inex- 
perienced staff and is likewise in daily use by the more experienced. 
With the aid of this book you will say that you have "no troubles to 
report." 

Selection of Printers 

Next in importance, if not equally so, with the selection of en- 
gravers, is the selection of the printer. Engravers' plates, be they the 
best in the world, can be ruined by a careless printer, but this rule 
will not work both ways, for the best printers can not do much with 
poor cuts. "Your Annual at hand and I must say that it far sur- 
passes ours, but you must admit that you had it on us in the choice of 
printers." That is the sad wail of many when they get their books 
poorly printed, and too often they make their choice on a paltry few 
dollars cheaper contract. 

Money Sources 

After the editor gets his plans made he should go over them with 
the business manager and carefully make an estimate of the expenses. 
Their object should be to put out the best book possible, yet stay 
within their means. The printing and engraving will be the big ex- 
penses, follov/ed by numerous small incidentals. After the estimation 
is made the sources of revenue must be tapped. Any school is able to 
obtain the revenues if they will but go about it in a business-like 
manner. 

The main source of revenue is, of course, the subscriptions. These 
should be gotten early. Personal interviews are the ones which get 
the results. A strong alumni campaign will add to the list. The 
assessments mentioned above will also provide reserve funds. Then 
all the classes, individuals, clubs, societies, teams, etc., whose pictures 
appear should be willing to pay for the cost of the cuts. This would 
come under rebate expenses. Advertisements are another source of 
revenue, as the merchants are willing to aid in the cause. An energetic 
business manager can secure a sufficient number of advertisements. 
Contributions from friends or alumni can often be secured. Then 
the school board or trustees should be willing to donate a generous 
amount. In the college periodical or Annual the college should 



Indianapolis, Indiana 15 

secure a goodly number for advertising purposes. You should be able 
to induce the college to buy 100 copies at the regular price. 

Editor Begins to Build 

The duties of the editor-in-chief are too numerous and varied to 
enter into a full discussion of them, but a few points are well to con- 
sider. He has supervision over the entire work and it is he who re- 
ceives the blame for all faults, neglect or errors in the finished product. 
He must feel his responsibility (mainly to himself) and if others fail 
him it is up to him to wade in and save the day. He must be as ready 
for emergencies as a general store. His first duty is to have a perfect 
understanding with the printer. The latter will furnish him with a 
blank dummy composed of the exact number and similar size pages 
as the book is to be. Some find the instalment plan to be the best 
for systematic work. A contract may stipulate that the "first 32 pages 
are to be handed in by say February 15th and the rest in regular in- 
stalments, all copy to be in to the printer on or before April 10th, the 
books to be delivered on May 10th." An outline of the Annual can 
be made which, though subject to necessary changes, will give a 
definite plan for work. With the dummy sectioned off, you are 
ready to begin pasting in material. 

Staff Meetings 

One of the most helpful means of keeping things moving is the 
frequent staff meetings for discussion of the progress being made and 
for the creation of a common interest. The editor should lead the 
members into lively discussions, but should refrain from telling all his 
plans for each department, as the anticipation of surprise parties from 
other members will keep each member on his guard. Upon the way 
the editor handles his staff and how he restrains himself, depends the 
unity of effort of his co-workers. He must not try to "boss," but 
rather to lead them. 

Plan and assign definite things for the members to do and always 
specify a definite time for articles to be handed in. By impressing 
upon them their responsibility for the success of the Annual and 
driving home the conditions of the contracts, they will resolve of their 
own free will that the book must be out on time, and it will come out 



16 Helpful Hints 

on time, too, a splendid comment upon unity of purpose. The editor 
should never ask nor require work of a member of the staff which he, 
under similar circumstances, would not be willing to do himself. 
It proves true that the more interest and energy one puts into a thing 
himself the more enticing example it is for those under him. And to 
the staff members is the obligation to perform all the assigned duties 
promptly. 

Getting Copy Ready 

Start early! That is a secret of good results. All of the pictures 
of clubs, societies, fraternities, classes, individuals, buildings, views, 
etc., can be taken early in the year, sent to the engravers and gotten 
oItF your hands. The write-ups to go with them can likewise be 
written, and, together with the proofs from the engravers, your 
dummy Avill assume definite and concrete form. This will give 
plenty of opportunity to perfect the details of the book. All the 
material possible should be typewritten, corrected and pasted, along 
with the cuts, in the proper places before sending to the printers. 
This will please them and you will be repaid many fold for the extra 
work. 

Procrastination is the thief of time, hence the diplomatic editor 
will keep in touch with all departments of the work, inquiring of 
staff members their progress, giving hints and suggestions about the 
work assigned to them and soliciting suggestions and aid for other 
parts of the book, and always just reminding them of the necessity 
of getting things prepared on time. As he is required to see that 
things "do move" he must know the details. Reading proof and 
carefully correcting it, doing messenger service to return it promptly 
and many other little duties, but add to his fun — and experience. He 
must prepare, also, the copy for the engraver, but the book, "Engrav- 
ings for College and School Publications," has taken away the terrors 
of this and it is now the most fascinating of the entire work. 

The artist, who does the drawing, cartooning and designing, must 
be kept supplied with work and he should keep up with the progress 
of the book, for it is impossible for him to do good work in the rush 
of the last few days. It will not pay you to hurry him too much, 
either, for you need the best work he is capable of producing. Specify 
the time you need certain work and then try and see that he does it. 



On Year Book 'Publication 17 

Distribution 

If the stafE has lived up to the letter of their contract it is safe to 
assume that the printer has lived up to his and that the books will be 
ready for distribution. System should be exercised in this as in every- 
thing else. For local distribution it is best to collect most of the 
subscriptions beforehand, and those having receipts should be the first 
to secure their books. On the morning the Annuals are ready for 
distribution have the students file past the one distributing the books. 
Here they may present their receipts and be given a copy of the book. 
The receipt may be stamped "delivered" and returned to holder. 
With the foreign subscriptions all books may be sent prepaid with 
the charges made and sent in a statement. 

Closing Accounts 

The business manager should collect all the accounts as soon as 
possible and pay all accounts in the same manner. 

Resume 

This is an outline of the main points to be considered in the pub- 
lishing of a school periodical or Annual. The question of the ad- 
visability of publishing an Annual is relegated to the scrap heap of 
old "Fogyish" ideas. The financial question need be no formidable 
barrier. The benefits of an Annual are many and of lasting quality. 
We must lay firm and definite foundations if we want to reach high 
ideals. The class issuing it must feel their responsibility and enter 
into the spirit of the task. A staff should be carefully selected from 
the standpoint of ability instead of prejudice, and co-operation with 
the faculty will be the lubricating oil of the mechanism. Every 
member of the class should contribute to either a reserve fund or pay 
a definite assessment, while the business manager should give a bond 
for the faithful adherence to his trust. Above everything else select 
a good engraving house, there being none superior to the Stafford 
Engraving Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. Investigate your money 
sources and leave plenty of margin in your estimates for shrinkage. 
The editor should plan carefully and wisely and then stick to his 



18 Stafford Engraving Company 

plans. He should hold frequent staff meetings, cultivate the interest 
and acquaintance of his co-workers, see that all his copy gets to both 
the printers and engravers on time and hustle himself. The distribu- 
tion, if made systematically, will be easily done. Have a rigid 
account made of all expenses and credits and when the debris is all 
cleared away you will reap the rewards of a work well done, and the 
value of having done it will be inestimable and the good for your 
school will be long serving. 



The High-School Annual 

"If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels 
had been churches, and poor men's cottages princes' palaces. It is a 
good divine that follozus his own instructions." 

Whatever organization or class undertakes to edit an Annual, 
the first step to take is to effect an organization, the number of officers 
of which is to be conditioned by the number of students in school and 
the size of the town or city. It is assumed that, if the Seniors of the 
school launch the enterprise, they are already well organized. The 
only thing to do is to perfect a lesser organization within the one 
already formed and to delegate to it the responsibility for the direction 
of the work, with the understanding, of course, that whenever the 
president of the class desires to do so, he may call for a report on what 
the smaller organization has done. If the class as a whole takes up 
the various questions that must be considered before the publication 
of the Annual is attempted, too many conflicting desires will assert 
themselves. It is better, both from the viewpoint of harmony in the 
class and the effectiveness of the work to be done, to entrust the 
general planning of the effort to a few persons upon whom responsi- 
bility can be fixed. Usually it has been found necessary to elect ar» 
editor-in-chief, one or more associate editors and a business manager. 
Each of these is empowered to appoint a certain number of assistants, 
the number to be conditioned by the amount and character of the 
work of his department. 

In choosing the staff of officers and the subordinates, great care 
should be exercised that only those best fitted for the particular work 
they are to do, be selected. No distinction except merit should receive 
recognition. If this can not be secured without the direction of the 
superintendent, or some teacher of the school, it is time to offer assist- 
a^jice. If this does not bring about the selection of the management 
on basis of merit, it is better that the Annual fail during inception 
than later when, through a multiplication of missteps, the failure will 
be only the more signal and the defeat the harder to bear. 

Having officered the Annual, the next question to be considered is 
that of getting the money with which to do the work. In planning 
any undertaking that involves the expenditure of money, one needs 



20 Helpful Hints 

only to know how much money is available and the cost of the enter- 
prise to be undertaken. 

The common sources of revenue for a high school Annual are 
class subscriptions, subscriptions from the organizations of the school, 
advertisements from the business men of the community, donations 
by the school board, gifts from public-spirited people not connected 
with the school and a general subscription list, which should include 
the names of all the progressive citizens of the community who are 
able to pay the subscription price. 

Whoever takes charge of the management of the Annual, whether 
the head be the Senior class, the Junior class or the school as a whole, 
will require the hearty co-operation of every member of the school. 
The management must succeed in having every class of the school 
feel that it has as much at stake in getting out an Annual that shall 
reflect credit on the whole school as has the management or any other 
class of the school, the only difference being that the management is 
to have upon its shoulders the larger responsibility and bear the 
greater burden. 

The amount gotten by class subscriptions and subscriptions from 
organizations, donations by the school board, and every other source 
of revenue for that matter, depends upon the oneness of life and spirit 
which throbs and pulsates in every artery of school activity. Without 
this unity of life in the organism (for the school is an organism) no 
worthy enterprise is open for successful issue; with it, the doors of 
opportunity to all laudable efforts are open wide. If the class organ- 
izations, the other organizations of the school, the school board or the 
community as a whole, give liberally to the support of a high school 
Annual, it is because there is one life in the school and all the members 
of the school know that this life is good. 

The canvass for subscriptions should be carefully made. To do 
this, the town or city should be divided by wards or streets, and for 
these certain persons should be held responsible for each particular 
ward or street. The canvassers should be required to keep strictly 
within the boundaries or limits assigned them. In taking subscribers' 
names, two lists should be kept by the canvasser, one to be retained 
by him for use in the distribution of the Annuals, and the other to be 
used by the business manager in keeping accounts. It is well to ap- 
point for canvassers those who know something of the financial ability 



On Year Book Publication 21 

and the community standing of the persons to be solicited. It is often 
wise to pass by some who would subscribe but not pay their subscrip- 
tions, and to give more time and energy to those who will pay and 
whose influence will be of greater value in swelling the subscription 
list. A teacher who is thoroughly informed as to the social and 
financial standing of the residents of a district or districts of a town 
or city should act in an advisory capacity to the canvassing com- 
mittee. 

In asking for advertisements the business manager should have 
the assistance of the superintendent or principal or some other teacher 
who is well known by the business men of the town. Business men 
will frequently look at the proposition to pay for advertising in a 
high school Annual from a business point of view only. That is, they 
want to know how many subscribers the Annual has or is to have and 
where the bulk of subscriptions has been taken, whether in town or 
country. The last named point would be a matter of concern only 
to the business man in a town whose school received a large patronage 
from the country. In answering these questions, perfect frankness 
should characterize every response. 

If after the business man has been solicited and the information 
asked has been given he refuses to take an advertisement, further 
argument on the desirability of the advertisement as a money getter 
should not be given. Try next to appeal to the community pride of 
the business man. "We are not putting out the Annual to make 
money," the solicitors say. "This Annual is to represent the best 
efforts of the entire community in putting out such a publication as 
the one we propose to publish. Besides we intend to publish in the 

, our home paper, a full account of all money received and 

expended. After all our bills are paid, if there should be any money 
remaining, it will be given to the school board to be used for library 
purposes. You can see by this no money is to be spent for which an 
open record is not to be made. Copies of our Annual will go out all 
over the state. One will be sent to the county superintendent, one 
to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, another to each 
of the educational journals of the state. You can see how anxious 
we are to have an Annual that will make a favorable impression 
wherever it goes. It really says in every place where it may find its 

way, 'This is the best that can do.' I am sure you want to 

do your part." 



22 Stafford H^ngraving Company 

If the one who is solicited be a jollier, meet him on his own plane. 
"Come on, loosen up. You can not afford not to have a part with 
us even for financial reasons. Nearly everybody in the whole town 
will read the Annual. You can not afford to pass us by." If the 
business man still talks of the money-making side of the proposition, 
the canvasser must tack again on the side of community pride. 

What has been said as to the manner of appeal to the business 
man will apply equally well in asking for subscriptions. Some persons 
refuse to subscribe, giving as a reason the fact that they have no chil- 
dren. Here, again, the appeal must be made to community interest. 
Make the fact plain that the Annual, going as it does into many differ- 
ent parts of our own state and other states as well, represents, in a 

way, the best thought of the community. "Mr. , you are a 

progressive man. Whatever you have is the best. You would not 
like for our Annual to give the impression in other communities that 
we are not up-to-date, would you?" Insight, tact and that too rare 
quality, good common sense, will always reveal to a canvasser the 
vulnerable places in the armor of the solicited. Upon these the 
solicitor must concentrate his best efforts. 

In the opinion of the writer, many boards charge too much for 
their advertising. It is far better to have two pages of advertising 
representing the interests of two different firms, at a fair profit, than 
to have one page representing the interests of one firm at an excessive 
profit. 

If the school spirit is what it should be, each of the four classes 
will pay the entire cost of putting its picture in the Annual. 

If any class objects to paying the total cost of getting its picture 
in the Annual, the promoters of the latter will have to make a strong 
appeal to school pride. It will sometimes require all the resources at 
their command to cause a class to feel that the success of the Annual 
should be as much a matter of concern to them as to those who have 
undertaken its management. 

In every school there are several organizations in addition to the 
four class organizations, such as literary societies, the orchestra, the 
basketball team, the quartette, etc. Each member of these organiza- 
tions is also a member of one of the four classes of the school, and, as 



Indianapolis, Indiana 23 

such, is taxed his part of the total cost of his class picture. It would 
be manifestly unfair to assess these persons the full amount necessary 
to have their pictures inserted again. 

In every community there are a few public-spirited persons who 
do not, for various reasons, care either to subscribe for an Annual or 
to take an advertisement in it, yet will give liberally to the support 
of an Annual or any other school enterprise. 

Some who have not had experience in planning and financing an 
Annual might ask this question : "Now that you have the benefit of 
experience, what changes would you make were you to undertake the 
getting out of an Annual next year?" In the first place, we should 
read more carefully "Engraving for College and School Publica- 
tions," by the Stafford Engraving Co., of Indianapolis, Indiana; 
especially chapters four and five, which deal respectively with General 
Instructions and Designing and Grouping. The information to be 
obtained from these chapters alone will save the staff many hours 
of work and a vast amount of worry. 

In the second place, we should have the supervisor of drawing 
act in an advisory capacity in the selection and preparation of all the 
material for the engravers. 

As a result of our experience we see now the great necessity for 
the organfization of the editorial staff early in the school year. If the 
staff be selected at the opening of school in the fall, they can begin 
at once the preliminary steps that must be taken before the work 
proper is to begin. The editor-in-chief and his associate can arrange 
for the English department of the school to have space in one or 
more of the local papers for school news. The staff can aliford to 
offer some financial recognition to the person or organization sending 
in the best list of items during a certain period. These lists of items 
will be a fair index to the life of the school for the year and will 
facilitate very greatly the work of the staff later in the year when 
time is even a more valuable asset than at the beginning. 

A prize offered for a short story to be handed in at the Christmas 
holidays will often reveal story writing ability unsuspected. 

These lists of items and a short story or two will make the prob- 
lem of getting together the literary part of the Annual an easy one. 
The teachers of the school may also use the local papers to write 



24 Helpful Hints 

articles on various themes connected with school life. Some of these 
may, with proper changes, be used in the Annual. Then, too, this 
wealth of material is easily handled, for much more matter will be 
crowded in the same space on the printed page than could be put on 
the manuscript page. Think of how greatly the business manager 
will be benefited by this long period of preparation. He can have 
time to talk to every business and professional man he needs to see 
and explain fully every inquiry as to the purpose of the management 
of the Annual, the circulation it is expected to have, etc. 

To the school that has never gotten out an Annual the question 
naturally arises, "Is it worth while?" To this we reply with an 
emphatic Yes. The getting out of an Annual centers the interest of the 
school upon the attainment of one definite object. This focusing of 
aim necessitates a giving up of selfish individual interests for the 
larger interest that is to have expression in the Annual. This giving 
up of selfish interest in getting out the Annual is rich in character- 
forming elements, for the results obtained by renunciation of selfish 
interests are seen to be so much greater than those produced by hold- 
ing to them, that this enterprise of putting out the Annual will ever 
stand as a type of the successful issue of the benefits to be obtained by 
unity of purpose and effort. 

The conscious realization by the boys and girls of a school that 
through activity in a common effort they have created something 
brings them into touch with creative activity, by which the world and 
everything in it was made. Boys and girls who have a sympathetc 
understanding of their relation to the creative activity of the world 
are already educated, even though they have never been inside the 
walls of a school room. 

The benefits of a high school Annual to the community that pro- 
duces it, is not unlike the benefits which come to the school, directly 
responsible for its publications. The difference is not one of kind, 
but one of degree. Whatever will lead a school to be proud of the 
successful realization of any plan undertaken in common, will have 
the same effect upon the larger unit, the community. One community 
takes a great deal of pride in itself, because it makes a better wagon 
than any other community; another boasts of its ability to manu- 



On Year Book Publication 25 

facture more and better china than any other community; and still 
another is proud of the fact that the excellence and variety of its 
carpet manufacture are known the world over. If, then, the produc- 
tion of these articles of common necessity have such a large influence 
in bringing about a community interest, surely the publication of a 
high school Annual, which represents the best that the young life of a 
community can do, will be an abiding stimulus to greater achieve- 
ments in all lines of community effort. 



Engraving for College and 
School Publications 



A SAFE GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL ANNUAL 



"Engraving for College and School Publications" is a handbook 
for each member of the staff. It is practically an encyclopedia on 
Annual construction. It starts to assist the staff members right at the 
beginning of their work and helps all along the way, from the organ- 
izing of the staff to the day the books are placed on sale. It is full 
of illustrations, from which you can obtain new ideas for your publi- 
cation. 

In brief, this volume is a safe guide to a successful Annual. You 
can't go wrong in following it, because it represents the experience 
we have gained since 1892, while working on thousands of successful 
Annuals for colleges and high schools in all parts of the country. 

Where Experience Counts 

The matter of experience alone is a most important factor, because 
there is no other field in which the engraver has so much latitude for 
the exercise of independent judgment as in this. This is because, as a 
rule, the management of school publications is in the hands of persons 
who have ideas that they want executed, but owing to their lack of 
experience they can not lay down hard and fast rules for the guidance 
of the engraver, but rather put it up to him to secure results. This 
makes it necessary for the average engraver that is accustomed to 
handle his work mechanically, to experiment and grope, with the 
result that he frequently flounders. 

No Need to Take Chances 

By dealing with the Stafford Engraving Company all doubts are 
set at rest — you take no chances — results are assured. The high 
quality of our work is the result, not of accident, but of conditions 
from which such work follows as a necessary consequence. 



Stafford Engraving Company 27 

Shows What Others Are Doing 

In this book is given descriptions of many typical Annuals, with 
pictures of them and data regarding their cost and some helpful hints 
as to how best to secure the funds to meet these items of expense. 
Full instructions are given regarding the preparation of pictures for 
the engraver, of copy for the printer, etc., and, in fact, all the in- 
formation needed by the novice who is desirous of being initiated into 
the mysteries of the editorial profession. The book is handsomely 
printed and bound and elaborately illustrated with typical cuts, which 
have a direct bearing upon the text, and graphically show the results 
attained by the adoption of various methods commonly employed by 
devotees of the pictorial art. 

What It Contains 

The following synopsis of contents gives an idea of the ground 
covered in the book. Notice that practically every branch of the work 
of issuing an Annual is included. In the chapters on engraving the 
text matter is in plain, every-day, non-technical language. We have 
not tried to give a correspondence course in engraving, but rather to 
tell you just how the plates which you will use in your Annual are 
made. You will find every chapter of the book practical and helpful. 

INTRODUCTION 

CHAPTER I 

The Editor and His Supporting Officers 
The Editor, The Faculty Advisor, Advice to the Editor, Meet- 
ings of the Staff, Making Reports to the Class, The Alumni Editor, 
The Literary Editor, The Art Editor, The Music and Dramatics 
Editor, The Athletic Editor, The Joke Editor, Staff Representatives 
of Other Classes, Work in Harmony with the Faculty. 

CHAPTER II 

The Business Manager and His Duties 

Finances, Sources of Revenue, Appointing Assistants, Selling Ad- 
vertising Space, Advertising Contract, Lyceum and Moving Picture 



28 Helpful Hints 

Entertainments, Class Plays, Concerts, etc.. Donations and Assess- 
ments, Sale of Books, The Time to Sell Annuals, Making Up the 
Budget, Keeping Your Accounts. 

CHAPTER HI 

Photographs 

Your Photographer, Insist on Good Photographs, Photographs 
of Large Groups, Lettering on Negatives, Flashlight Photographs, 
Good Copy Means Good Plates. 

CHAPTER IV 

General Instructions 

Placing Contract for Printing, Type Page, Arranging Your 
Dummy, Preparing Your Manuscript for the Printer, Editing Copy, 
Paper, Ink, Type Faces, Cover, Binding. 

CHAPTER V 

Designing and Grouping 

Do Your Own Art Work, Materials Necessary for Good Dravi^- 
ings, Copy for Zinc Etchings, Rules for Laying Out Drawings, etc., 
Making Line Drawings, Reducing or Enlarging Drawings or Pho- 
tographs, Drawing Cartoons, Copy for Halftones, Halftones from 
Halftone Prints, Halftones from Pencil Drawings, Cardboard for 
Mounting Purposes, Senior Panels, The Use of Masks, Panels to be 
Made by Us, Tint Backgrounds, Fraternity Groupings, etc.. Group- 
ing Snapshots, Making Heads Uniform, Making Backgrounds uni- 
form. Square Halftones from Oval Prints. 

CHAPTER VI 

The Ground to Be Covered 

Making Your Annual Original, When to Start Work, Arrange- 
ment of the Book, Ex Libris, Numbering Pages, Name of Book, View 
Section, Dedication, Order of Books or Contents, University Presi- 
dent, Board of Education and Faculty, In Memoriam, Border, Run- 



On Year Book Publication 29 

ning Head, Department Headings, Senior Class, Junior, Sophomore 
and Freshman Classes, Popularity or Beauty Section, Athletics, Or- 
ganizations, Publications, Music and Drama, Farce and Jokes, Car- 
toons, Groups of Snapshots. 

CHAPTER Vn 

Preparing Copy for Shipment 

Size of Type Page, Mounting Photographs, Retouching, Revers- 
ing a Plate, Record of Copy, Trimming Photographs, Marking Copy, 
Methods of Forwarding Copy, Packing Copy, Acknowledging Re- 
ceipt of Copy, Time Required for Delivery, Proofs, Billing, Remit- 
tances, Shipping Completed Work. 

CHAPTER VIII 

Zinc Etchings 

The Principle of Etching, The Process, Reversing Colors, Com- 
bination Plates. 

CHAPTER IX 
Halftones 

Time of Origin, The Halftone Screen, The Process, Electrical 
Etching Process, Outlining and Finishing, Styles of Finish, Mount- 
ing Plates, The Metzograph, The Prism. 

CHAPTER X 

Color Plates 

When to Use, Line Color Plates, The Shading Machine, Half- 
tone Color Plates, Two-Color Process Halftones, Three-Color 
Process Halftones, Four-Color Process Halftones, Progressive Proofs, 
Printing Halftone Color Plates, The Harmony of Colors. 

How TO Secure a Copy of "Engraving for College and 
School Publications'' 

Only a limited number of copies have been issued. It has been 
recently revised by us at an expense of more than $2,000 for the 



30 Stafford Engraving Company 

benefit of those for whom we do work. While we might readily sell 
a large number of copies, the edition is so small that the books will 
not be sold at any price, nor can we loan them to others than those 
for whose use they have been published. 

The Book Is Loaned 

The book will be loaned by us without charge to the staffs of col- 
lege and school publications that contract with us for their engraving, 
upon their agreement to treat its contents confidentially, and to return 
the book to us at the end of the school year. It is designed to simplify 
the most difficult process of the work of the amateur publisher, and 
he will find in its pages a fund of information and a source of such 
valuable assistance as can not be secured in any other way. The 
book is unique in its adaptability to the wants of the people for whom 
it is especially designed, in its freedom from technicalities and in its 
fullness and clearness of illustration in treating of topics that are 
uppermost in the mind of the young editor. 



SEE OUR SPECIAL OFFER 
ON PAGES 26-27-28-29 and 30 




About This Other Valuable Book 
and How to Secure Its Use 
Without Charge. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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